Face Preening

[FoxersArtist]

By this title I do not mean preening the face of our beloved birds. I mean preening a bird using our faces. Now before I go any further, I think that it is SUPER important for anyone reading this to know and understand that any bird can cause sever injury, especially to the face and this is an area of the body that is usually recommended to keep our birds away from.

I trust most of my own birds to be near my face though I try always to be very aware of their body language. Even still, a bite could happen at any time and I am willing to accept full responsiblility for those consequences. Most fosters I keep away from my face until I really get to know them. Every once in a while I will be working with a bird who seems to really like people but who is absolutely afraid of hands. The unique thing about these birds is that once they trust me, they love to be preened by me using my face to pet their feathers.

Loretta was one of these birds and now, after about a year of face preening has finally accepted my hands as safe and worthy to preen. Brenda's Sydney is another and will let me love all over her as long as I am using my face. She sees any movement from my hands and she is out of there, barking at me from a distance.

I was thinking about this today as I was loving on Sydney, wondering to myself that maybe being preened by our hands just seems too unatural for some birds. Afterall, birds expose their most vulnerable parts to their mate - their faces - during their allopreening sessions. Maybe I am totally off my rocker to say so, but I feel a really special bonding occur between myself and bird whenever I communicate to them, in their language, that I whole heartedly trust them.

What do you all think?
-Anna

[Dot]

I think that it is SUPER important for anyone reading this to know and understand that any bird can cause sever injury, especially to the face and this is an area of the body that is usually recommended to keep our birds away from. :hihihi: :hihihi: :hihihi: :hihihi: Hello! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

How do you groom with your face? Just rub your face against the feathers? Does that action remove any of the outer casings of feathers? I hope I remember to try this with Leroy who is still a little afraid of hands. Poor, sweet, baby girl.

Since I can never remember to email you, I'll just tell you here. I have made only one toy for your birds and that was pre-Alaska. Now I need to make toys for my girls, but I will be sending some your way sometime. Some nice, fun, ugly ones! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: (Private joke, ya'll. Sorry about that.)

[FoxersArtist]

If the bird is super healthy the feather casings do not come off easily as they have more moisture to them. Occassionally they will come off or at least loosen enough to fall off later. If the bird is not very healthy or does not get bathed regularly, the casings are sometimes really dry and crumble easily. So in these birds they come off easily. Sydney is becoming so healthy. Her casings are nice and moist.

As far as the toys go...I'll only accept them if they are uglier than last time. The uglier they are, the bigger the hit among my flock. LOL.
-Anna

I think that it is SUPER important for anyone reading this to know and understand that any bird can cause sever injury, especially to the face and this is an area of the body that is usually recommended to keep our birds away from. :hihihi: :hihihi: :hihihi: :hihihi: Hello! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

How do you groom with your face? Just rub your face against the feathers? Does that action remove any of the outer casings of feathers? I hope I remember to try this with Leroy who is still a little afraid of hands. Poor, sweet, baby girl.

Since I can never remember to email you, I'll just tell you here. I have made only one toy for your birds and that was pre-Alaska. Now I need to make toys for my girls, but I will be sending some your way sometime. Some nice, fun, ugly ones! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: (Private joke, ya'll. Sorry about that.)

[bonnie]

I do this with Chicken sometimes. But I am VERY aware of his body language and I do not do it for very long. I wouldn't trust Daisy to do this. I love her to bits and peices, but I just can't read her well yet.

[Dot]

As far as the toys go...I'll only accept them if they are uglier than last time. The uglier they are, the bigger the hit among my flock. LOL.
-Anna

If they play with them, that is all that matters.

[Dot]

Do you just rub your face on the feathers?

[bonnie]

Do you just rub your face on the feathers?
That's what I'm thinking she means.

[too&me]

"they love to be preened by me using my face to pet their feathers. " I would say yes that is exactly what Anna means.

[Dot]

"they love to be preened by me using my face to pet their feathers. " I would say yes that is exactly what Anna means.

I tried that. I got a big chuckle from Fergie (Scarlet) and a reminder that I am allergic to birds. :haha::haha:

[Angelbaby]

When Angel is on my shoulder that is when I'll rub my face on her body and tell her I love her. Angel has never bitten me but I'll always beware when we are that close.

[birdie]

This is a nite nite time ritual with Stella. After all birds are tucked in I go pull up her cover and get one more snuggle before I turn in. She will rub my face and I get to put my nose in those soft feathers and get that adicting sniff of TOO dust before bed.

[Julie]

I also do this with the Carl. He loves it, and will put his face toward the same body part that I have my face on and will cluck "I Love you's" while I'm touching him